Qld Health 'lying' about cancer treatment waiting times

The Australian Medical Association of Queensland (AMAQ) says the state's health department is hiding the truth about waiting times for cancer treatment.

AMAQ president Dr Mason Stevenson says some patients whose radiation treatment has been postponed are being left out of Queensland Health's hospital performance reports.

Dr Stevenson says 4,000 cancer patients are missing out on radiation treatment in Queensland every year because there are not enough resources.

He says Queensland Health has been keeping the 'real' statistics about waiting times a secret.

"We have been led astray by Queensland Health statisticians that have led us to believe that in fact we are providing a bigger and better radiotherapy service for Queenslanders and that is plainly not the truth," he said.

"We are actually losing the battle."

But Queensland Health says its hospital reporting is accurate.

Queensland Health spokeswoman Liz Kenny says the patients who are not being included in the quarterly reports are not experiencing delays in treatment.

"It's not a meaningful list in terms of looking at your lack of access to care," she said.

She says the figures are not relevant and most of the patients who are not included in the reporting are postponed to get other treatment first.

"There's nothing secret or mysterious about that," she said.

She says they are patients who have been booked in many months in advance.

"For example women who are diagnosed with early breast cancer who are having surgery and then who are having many months of chemotherapy and whom radiation therapy would follow after that treatment," she said.

But Dr Stevenson says every patient should be counted in performance reports.

"So we actually know how many Queenslanders are on the waiting list to receive radio therapy," he said.